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This is a question Unemployed

I was Mordred writes, "I've been out of work for a while now... however, every cloud must have a silver lining. Tell us your stories of the upside to unemployment."

You can tell us about the unexpected downsides too if you want.

(, Fri 3 Apr 2009, 10:02)
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Another tale of annoyance
I am in awe at the ineptitude of my local dole office. Last year, we found oout my wife was up the duff for the second time, and I found out that statutory paternity leave is utter fucking shite, and I wanted to spend more than two weeks at home being paid shit all to help out with the new family member.

So we decided it was about time we got some savings together. I quit my job and took on a six month contract down in our nation's glorious capital for a daily rate that would allow us to put enough cash away so that when the time came, we could support ourselves for a little while without me having to work and free up time to enjoy with my newborn.

So I commuted to London every week from Wales, leaving my poor wife at home getting bigger and bigger with each month. Baby due in February, but the credit crunch hit and I was let go in the middle of January. So I called the dole office and explained my situation, I had a new job confirmed to start in June and enough cash in savings to pay the mortgage and a few bills until then. The folks on the phone tell me that I'm definately elligible for income support and after 45 minutes of tedious questions where I had to explain 3 times that I am not a foreigner nor am I on parole and the rest of the bullshit that I'm sure we've all been humiliated by when applying for a little state help.

That was on 16th January.

They sent me forms to fill in, which they lost. They sent them again, and lost them again when I returned them so I went in and filled them in at a desk and watched as they placed said forms in an envelope to be sent to Wrexham for completion of the claim.

Wrexham sent more forms which I filled in and sent back. They lost those forms. So I had them send out another set which I filled in and insisted on watching them be faxed to offices in Wrexham. The fax was lost. Only when I sent the forms by post, and paid for the postage myself, instead of using their postage paid envelope did they get there, and their emergency 24 hour decision finally came through about a week later and we got our money the following tuesday.

That was last tuesday.

I have had to get a job to see us through as the money ran out a while back, thereby rendering the whole shitty 6 months of commuting to London leaving my pregnant wife to deal with our very rambunctious 3 year old completely pointless.

Okay, maybe not completely pointless, I got a little time off, but I didn't get the stress free, chilled out 3 months of family time I had planned and budgeted for.

Why is it so hard for them to sort out a bit of temporary help for someone who has always worked, paid tax and national insurance for years and just wants to take a brief hiatus to spend some family time when all the genuine dole scammers and wasters seem to get money handed to them without fault?

Grrr
(, Tue 7 Apr 2009, 17:15, 7 replies)
Fuck me,
suprised you didn't go ballistic, mate.

My girlfriend and I had a smilar experience last year - she couldn't work due to illness, had a seven hour op to correct her wonky body. But in the year leading up to that and the recovery time afterwards trying to get any help from these fuckwits was fucking impossible. They even wanted her to go in for an appointment to see their doctor - on the day of her operation.... I'll say that again: ON THE DAY OF HER OPERATION!!! Cunts.
(, Tue 7 Apr 2009, 17:30, closed)
Was that before
or after the "up the arse" comment?

You see, I do pay attention.
(, Tue 7 Apr 2009, 18:35, closed)
Quite a simple answer really...
They're fucking useless spacktards is why it's so hard. I have to go an have an interview with them, on Easter Monday... when they're closed.
(, Tue 7 Apr 2009, 21:12, closed)
*snort*
I get increasingly frustrated by that sort of thing. It's because EVERYTHING is organised and automated by computers, and at no point does a human use any common sense.
(, Tue 7 Apr 2009, 21:33, closed)
No
it's because there are so many different computer systems in play and none of them talk to each other properly or at all.

And because they're useless spacktards (hence the "missing" mail stuff).
(, Tue 7 Apr 2009, 21:40, closed)
you'vegot the wrong approach entirely
walk in wearing a knocked off tracksuit sporting a chippy attitude, and threaten the staff with violence.

seems to work for all the mouthy c**ts where I used to sign on...
(, Wed 8 Apr 2009, 1:16, closed)
Fucksakes...
I don't often swear much, but that's fucking unlucky, even for them. I do notice a pattern though... Why do they always lose everyone's papers? I mean, it's not fucking rocket science...
(, Wed 8 Apr 2009, 10:42, closed)

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